Motorcycle Misadventures

Kawasaki KLX400A dual sport on the Trans-America Trail

I'm preparing for my trip on the Trans-America Trail with Sam Correro August 8. I'll be riding a 2003 Kawasaki KLX400A dual sport which looks to be the perfect vehicle except he hopes that we don't have to change out a jet in Colorado at 10,000 feet. He can change out a jet on his XR600 in about five minutes, but the engine on the 400 is so compact that many repairs and adjustments may mean taking off the gas tank and other such major disassembly.

This is the question: Is there enough range on the KLX400A to deal with the change in altitude, or are we going to need to change out the jets on Pike's Peak? Advice appreciated.

Mods he's already made are the rear sprocket and tires. Says he pushed the sprocket up 2 teeth, which will give me more 'grunt' at the rear wheel but will slow the top speed. ("You're not a speed freak are you," he asked.) Also changed out the stock tires to the more aggressive DOT knobbies.

And here's great news: Chris & Spice are riding their KLR650's all the way from Atlanta to Colorado to join us. This pair took a round-the-world-trip a couple of years ago on these bikes, and started with a six-week journey along Sam's entire Trans-America trail.

Sign up for my mailing list (click at left) and be the first to hear about this trip mid-August.

Carla

Rider Reports

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Japan's Bikes: Trusty Then, Coveted Now

Among collectors of motorcycles, the pursuit of a specific model - even a Japanese bike of fairly recent vintage - can challenge the limits of one's devotion to an already passionate hobby.

For Mickey Cohen of Kingston, Pa., the test took the form of a search for a Honda GB500 Tourist Trophy, a single-cylinder road bike with classic British lines largely ignored by American riders when it was introduced in 1989. After finally locating one at a fair price, Mr. Cohen, who has collected vintage Hondas for 10 years, called the bike's owner in New Jersey to arrange an inspection.

Read the entire New York Times article Japan's Bikes: Trusty Then, Coveted Now by Lindsay Brooke.

Steam Flyer Motorcycle at San Francisco's Musee Mecanique

The San Francisco Musee Mechanique has temporarily moved from its Ocean Beach location at the Cliff House (which is being renovated) to a stunning location on Pier 45, in the heart of Fisherman's Wharf with stellar views of the bay. This place is a fascinating tour of fun for the mechanically minded, and among their collection is a fire-engine red steam-powered motorcycle, restored to perfect running condition.

I talked about the motorcycle with Daniel Galland Zelinsky, a fifth generation San Franciscan and a second generation collector who oversees the exhibit and is the primary force in its expansion. Between dispensing quarters to the group of travel writers who was visiting (I was with the Bay Area Travel Writers group), he explained that it had been exhibited once since its restoration, but there were no plans for future demonstrations. "Though all it takes to start it is a match," he said.

Who made it, and why? I asked. Built in 1912 by a Mr. Gilligan in Sacramento seems to be all that is known about it. I'm begging for history, as well as a ride. Zelinsky, who had just taken his 16 year old son for his first motorcycle ride the day before (he owns a vintage BSA), was interested in talking motorcycles but wasn't interested in taking the Steam Flyer out of the glass case for a demo. "Well count on me to whine until I get a ride," I told him. Hopefully an antique motorcycle show will come up that he just can't resist.

The acquisition of the Steam Flyer was a lucky deal for the senior Zelinsky, Ed, a long-time San Franciscan and the owner off the museum. An inveterate collector since childhood, he acquired many of the machines from George Whitney Sr., owner of Playland-At-The-Beach, San Francisco's landmark amusement park, which closed in 1972.

Ed and George Whitney used to have lunch together every third Thursday of the month, and although Ed seldom sells any of his collection, he loves to trade. Back then, he did a lot of trading with George Whitney. "We traded music boxes and pianos back and forth," Ed recalls, "but I'll never forget the day I traded for the steam motorcycle. I remember he had a scotch over ice, shrimp cocktail, and a minute steak. I tried to copy him, but I couldn't keep up with him on the drinks."

"Well, I had quite a few drinks, and I was feeling no pain, and george said, 'Ed, you have a 1904 Franklin. Do you want to trade it?'

"And I said, 'George, what will you give me for it?' Well, I don't really remember the conversation, but I do remember shaking hands with him, and Mr. Whitney telling me, 'Ed, you are the proud owner of a steam motorcycle.'"

Later, the two men had diner again, and Whitney asked Ed who got the best deal in teh trade. "I don't know, George, you tell me," Ed recalls.

Then Whitney said, "Ed, I got the best deal. I got a Franklin that's running and you got a motorcycle that isn't."

Ed told him, "That's funny, George. I thought I got the best of the deal because I got the only steam motorcycle, perhaps, in the whole world."

Whitney then called Ed a few weeks later and asked if he wanted to trade back again. "That when I knew I had a good deal," Ed says.

Time has proved Zelinsky right. Recently, the peripatetic collector received an unsolicited offer of $250,000 for the motorcycle. "Now I know I really got the best deal!" he says.

Electrikery: Gremlins in your wiring, and other teachings

The UK Ural Riders Association has some of the best tech explanations of any site I've seen. I was just laughing my head off at Electrickery...a beginners guide, in which the author explains electricity as something that happens when, "a great number of very annoyed, but invisible, Gremlins, gallop around your wiring, lighting your lights and spinning your starter motors. These fellows are so tiny that, even if we could see them, we could not count them. Apparently you can have six million, million, million Gremlins galloping through your bit of wire in a second...Luckily some earlier mortals developed meters that can measure this great dollop of Gremlins as they hurtle by. This dollop is called an Amp, hence the Ammeter (or Amp-meter)."

Visit this page and learn about Wiring and Switches (a tube down which the Gremlins flow), the Alternator (where the gremlins go for a snooze when the engine is not running), and the Battery (a sort of prison where we trap some of the pressurised little buggers).

Woman Biker Survey & Motocicliste Rally

Please pass this on to the organizers of women's motorcycle clubs and return to:

Paola Furlan
Motocicliste
info@motocicliste.net
http://www.motocicliste.net

Consider also attending the Italian Motocicliste rally July 31 - August 1. I'm sure it'll be a lot of fun and extremely lively!

english
francais
deutsch

Dear Woman Biker!

Last year our association has conducted a survey on the Italian Woman Bikers. The results gathered so far helped us in better understanding who the Italian woman bikers are, how many they are, what they do with their bikes, their favorite brands, models, disciplines and which future trends lie ahead for women on the two wheels.

The aim of this letter is to collect some information about woman bikers in other countries. Moreover with relevance to woman racers(professional and amateur), since, this year, we have organized the first Italian speed championship for women only (for further info on our trophy please visit http://www.motocicicliste.net/trofeo ).

We would like to understand what kind of discipline woman riders practice at professional levels outside Italy thus to find any common traits among the different motorcycling scenes in Europe.

Our European Meeting, taking place in Varano de‚ Melegari Parma Italy, will be just the right chance to meet with other women in love with the two wheels in order to discuss about the female motorbike panorama in Europe.

We are very pleased to invite you to this event and hereby kindly ask your availability to share with us your experiences, information, any official and unofficial data regarding the woman biker scenario in your country.

Naturally the data and the information we are collecting, thanks to all
European woman bikers, will be at the disposal and for the benefit of all parties joining the survey and will be not disclosed to third parties for commercial purposes.

Please find below the questions.

The Ural takes a ride around the block

For the first time in about a year the Ural was up and running. Greg has been great about sending me dispatches. "Today was ride around the block day," he writes. "I replaced all the fuel lines and put some new gas in the tank. We rode it up and down the street and around the block giving rides to Terri [wife] and the J-kids [daughters]. The longer I ran it the better it worked. The enrichners were not quite in the off position so I may have fouled the plugs. I do not think that the alternator is charging so we ran it on the battery. The alternator will be the next project." Yeah...I remember that project, and I must admit, I'm glad it's not my project any more. Here's a photo of their first adventure out.

Legally Certified Ural Importer in America

I wonder what happened to the old Ural America. Anyone know?

According to their Web site, Irbit MotorWorks of America, Inc. (IMWA, Inc.) "is the only legally certified importer of Ural motorcycles into the United States. It is a direct affiliate of the Irbit Motorcycle Plant, the manufacturer of Ural motorcycles in Irbit, Russia."

"IMWA relieved the previous importer, Classic Motorcycles and Sidecars, Inc (CMSI), of all importation, distribution and sales of all Ural motorcycles, parts and genuine Ural/IMZ accessories in the U.S. On May 16, 2003 an agreement was signed between Irbit Motorcycle Plant (IMZ-URAL), its U.S. affiliate IMWA, Inc. and Classic Motorcycles and Sidecars, Inc. (CMSI) finalizing the long awaited for details of the fate of Ural motorcycles in America. As part of the agreement, IMWA has received ALL Ural related trademarks, trade names and Internet properties from CMSI. IMWA is actively recruiting dealers to become part of their qualified dealer network to distribute Ural motorcycles, parts and accessories."

One Ural Sold and off to Southern California

Yesterday I watched my Ural roll down the driveway in a trailer with a little bit of a twinge. She went to a good home though, one much like mine, with an engineer dad and two pre-teen girls who will ride it on mountain trails and fire roads, and probably the road when their dad isn't looking. (Not that I ever did that ;-) Greg, the new owner, promises to send me news of her further adventures, and I'm looking forward to it. Sigh. Now what?

The Oil Truth

The Oil Truth is an article in a very useful classic motorcycle website based in the UK with a lot of geeky articles about how to build your own engine and such. This one on whether or not it matters what oil you use in your bike (car, truck, bus) is pretty fascinating, written by Gerry Bristow, who has spent most of his working life in the oil industry, with Duckhams, BP and others (and has a vintage bike). The bottom line? "First, if you don't already have one, fit a proper filter. If you're worried about maintaining the original appearance, you can hide it in the toolbox...In all the independent tests I've seen nothing has ever beaten Mobil 1. Mobil produce a 20w-50 synthetic oil for bikes called 'Mobil 1 V-Twin.'" There you have it.

For more great tech stories focused on vintage bikes (how to make your own engine, how to paint a gas tank, how to fix your brakes) visit their site at http://www.realclassic.co.uk/tech.html.